Two-month-old venue is best in town

AN ITALIAN restaurant which opened only two months ago has been named best in London.

Bocca di Lupo, in Soho, came top in Time Out's 50 best restaurants in the capital for 2009.

Managed by 28-year-old chef Jacob Kenedy and his business partner Victor Hugo — both of whom previously worked at Moro in Exmouth Market — the Archer Street restaurant was singled out for its robust menu, outstanding food and "surprisingly low" prices.

Guy Dimond, the magazine's food and drink editor, said many of the venues which made the top 10 were picked because they offered good food at reasonable prices.

"Even in a recession, people enjoy eating out," he said. "So we compiled our current list of our favourite 50 restaurants — the places we would recommend to friends right now. It includes more than a score of new restaurants, with a strong emphasis on value for money."

A meal for two including wine at Bocca di Lupo, which opened at the end of November, costs about £70.

Mr Dimond said the emphasis on cheap eats meant previous Time Out favourites failed to make the grade. Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant was deemed too expensive as was the River Café. The full list of London's best 50 restaurants will feature in Time Out London tomorrow.